“Every moment is a fresh beginning.” — T.S. Eliot
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What a difference warmth and rain make.
Walk the tallgrass prairie in summer-like temperatures one evening after April showers. It’s a lesson in green. How many hues, shades, and tints can there be?
So many greens. Light green. Lime green. Emerald.
Dark green. Mint. Neon green.
And of course, grass green.
Grass. So much grass.
It ripples in the stiff wind; caresses my ankles as I hike. I try to identify the grass seedlings but give up. So many grasses. So many greens.
The wildflowers are often easier to identify. Nothing else looks like a mayapple.
Even so young, the prairie wildflowers have distinct shapes, colors, and—dare I say it?—personalities?
Queen of the prairie is certainly flamboyant. And purple meadow rue’s soft muted green, veined with amethyst, seems almost like she’s dressing up to go out somewhere.
Look at those fuzzy little seedling spears of prairie dock! You just have to reach down and touch them.
Some of the earliest wildflowers are in full bloom. A few seem downright bizarre. Consider common valerian, which is anything but “common.”
Or prairie smoke, which will put out long wispy pink plumes after the flowers are fertilized. It won’t be long now.
What about the golden Alexanders with their humble umbel flowers?
And speaking of humble, the violets are coming on strong. In the language of flowers, so beloved by Victorians, the violet means “modesty.”
In the shaded edge areas of the prairie savanna, Virginia bluebells are in full swing. Look at that color!
A blast of warm temperatures a month ago boosted some of the woodland wildflowers that skim the edges of the prairie proper. Now, they are finishing their flowering season. Bloodroot can be found in bloom and in seed this week. Look now before the last flowers are gone.
Make no bones about it…
…it’s an exciting time on the tallgrass prairie. Why not go see?
You won’t want to miss a moment of April.
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The opening quote is from the poet and playwright T.S. Eliot (1888-1965). Among his great works are The Wasteland and The Four Quartets. You can hear him read some of his work here.
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A Note from Cindy: I recently finished teaching “Prairie Gardens for the Home Landscape,” and one of the top questions I fielded was “How do I identify emerging prairie seedlings so I don’t weed them?” Here are four great resources to check out if you want to learn the seedling stage of many prairie plants.
Central Region Seedling ID Guide for Native Prairie Plants. (Various contributors, NRCS USDA) Spiral bound card set with color photography and glossy stock paper. Each card shows several photos of the seedling stage, mature leaf, and bloom. The information includes a description of the plant and distinguishing characteristics, as well as difficulty and bloom time from seed. You can download it for free here, or buy it already bound on sturdy stock paper for about $25 online.
Prairie Seedling and Seeding Evaluation Guide (Various contributors, Bonestroo) . Spiral bound, small book format with more than 50 tallgrass prairie wildflowers and grasses, and 25 common weeds. It also includes some basic information for evaluating your prairie planting. You can buy it from various sources online for about $13, or download the PDF for free here.
The Tallgrass Prairie Center Guide to Seed and Seedling Identification in the Upper Midwest. (Dave Williams, University of Iowa Press). Very specific seed and seedling ID notes, with a key system for 72 species including both forbs and grasses. Order it from your favorite indie bookseller for around $14 or from the publisher here..
The Gardener’s Guide to Prairie Plants (Neil Diboll & Hilary Cox, University of Chicago Press). This invaluable book, hot off the press, is jam-packed with great information on choosing, growing, and getting to know different prairie plants in the home garden. Most of the 145 plant photo pages include the seedlings (first year), emerging mature plants, entire plant, flower, early seed head, and mature seed. There are countless pages of information for the prairie gardener on everything from deer resistant plants to using prescribed fire. At $35, it’s a bargain, and I love the “lay flat” binding. Order it from your favorite independent bookseller or here.
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Join Cindy for a class or program this spring!
Thursday, April 18, 9-11 a.m.—“Spring Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk,” The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. To register, click here. (Weather dependent)
Friday, April 19, 8-9 p.m.–“Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers,” presented by the Midwest Pond and Koi Society.” White Fence Farm, Romeoville, IL. Optional dinner before the program; program is free and open to the public, but please visit here for more information.
Wednesday, April 24, 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m. —“Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers,” presented by the Naperville Garden Club. Naperville Municipal Center, Naperville, IL. For more information about access to this event for non-members, visit the club’s website here.
Saturday, April 27, 9-11 a.m.—“Spring Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk,” The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. To register, click here. (Limited tickets left). (Weather dependent)
Thursday, May 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m.–“Spring Wildflower and Ethnobotany Walk,” The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL (prairie and woodland). Register here. (Weather dependent)
More programs and events at cindycrosby.com.
Tuesdays in the Tallgrass 